


A (Not So) Chance Encounter

by escape_chan



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/M, First Meetings, Gen, Love Spell, Pixies, Pre-Relationship, magical au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-22 05:51:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19661143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/escape_chan/pseuds/escape_chan
Summary: Konan is sure the love charm she purchased six months earlier is a dud and decides she can do better on her own without such an object. Just when she is about to remove it, someone offers to help. Maybe it did work after all.





	A (Not So) Chance Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for the Naruto Magic Week Day 5 - Love Potion No. 9
> 
> I'm always a little iffy about love potion stuff, so I do hope this counts!
> 
> I'm also on tumblr, come by and say hello: [writing-escapes](https://writing-escapes.tumblr.com/)

It had been at least six months since purchasing the supposedly charmed necklace, and Konan was sure it was a dud. Probably not even properly charged with magic, if at all. Looking at it in the mirror, she traced the tiny vial filled with oils and herbs and sighed. She might as well take it off, what was the point? It hadn’t worked. No one new had come into her life. No one. Not a single person. It wasn’t that she hadn’t met new people, she met new people all the time as a bookseller, but those people came and went. They were in her life for mere moments, not nearly long enough for anything more than a business transaction and then they were gone again. 

She lifted her other hand and moved both to undo the clasp at the back of her neck. She had felt silly buying such a thing from the Yamanaka shop. Such things just weren’t for her though, she decided, and perhaps, neither was love. She wanted to laugh at her silliness in buying the love charm in the first place, but she couldn’t and felt more like crying instead.

Konan struggled to undo the clasp but couldn’t get it to open for some reason. Then she felt a prick on her finger, like a needle, and she pulled her hands away. It must have pinched her, and she sucked the blood off her fingertip. She would have words with those Yamanaka witches, first their magic didn't work and now it seemed they booby-trapped the necklace not to come off. 

Let the damn thing stay where it was, she thought, she would deal with it later. It was late and she needed to open her shop. Konan smoothed her hair, making sure she looked presentable and then grabbed her bag and hurried out the door. 

Half-way through her day, Konan decided to get a pair of scissors and cut the necklace off. She couldn’t stand the thing any longer. It hung around her neck, the weight of it seemingly heavier than it had been, as if it mocked her. Sure, the girl who sold her the necklace told her that natural magic it was infused with worked differently and may not work the way she thought it should compared to potions and magic using wands, and Konan was aware of that without being told, but _six months?!_ Konan had had enough.  
  
If love was meant to come into her life, it would come into her life. Magic or no magic. 

She went into the back room and searched for her scissors. Not in the drawer where they should have been… not in any of the other drawers either. She marched through her shop, shoving books and stools aside with her wand as she searched, unaware of a large figure who had entered and was standing at the counter, watching her.

Fuming, Konan spotted her scissors on the counter. She knew they had not been there before. Was someone, or some _thing_ playing games with her now?! Along with the scissors, she also saw she had a customer. She wondered how long he had been there but he could wait a few moments longer until she had freed herself from the ridiculous love charm that hung around her neck. 

She made her way over and grabbed the scissors from the counter top and held the necklace with one hand. 

“Damn… why don’t I have a mirror in here?” She said to herself. The leather cord was not long at all and Konan did not exactly want to nick her own neck in the process of removing the necklace.

“Allow me.” The man beside her said, his voice deep, and she looked up into green and red eyes, the rest of his face obscured by a scarf, and found herself handing over the pair of scissors to him. 

He took them and then took hold of her necklace, his fingertips, rough and calloused, brushing the skin of her neck before he slid the scissors between her and the necklace. It was then she noticed the tattoos around his forearms. The mark of a prisoner, and not just any prisoner but a serious offender. She wondered what he had done and she had just given him what was essentially a weapon. She could feel the cold steel on the side of her neck… Slipping her hand into the pocket of her dress, Konan wrapped her fingers around her wand. Just in case.

What was he waiting for, she wondered impatiently and looked up at him. He looked into her eyes, silently questioning if she really wanted to cut the necklace.

“Do it. Hurry up.” She told him. 

He cut through the leather in one snip and before either of them could catch it, the vial slipped off the cord and fell, shattering on the cobblestone floor between their feet and filled the air between them with floral notes.

“I’m sorry, I-”  
  
“Don’t worry about it. I’m more than glad to be free of that thing.” Konan told him, “Thank you.” She rubbed her throat and the man placed her scissors back down on the counter. Konan wondered what creature had hidden them from her, but didn’t have much time to think about it as the man cleared his throat. 

“You’re welcome, but I’m here to pick up some books I ordered from you about six months ago.”  
  
“Oh! Yes, of course.” Konan had nearly forgotten, the man had sent an owl with his order, not even coming into the shop himself, the day after she had purchased the necklace. Her mouth went dry, was he… no. That was just a coincidence. She looked at him and motioned for her to follow, “They’re in the back, they were delivered early this morning.” She lead the way, glass crunching under her heels. 

“Kakuzu, right?” She asked over her shoulder and wondered what he hid under his scarf, it was autumn and not yet cold enough to need one. He glanced down at the broken vial as he followed, nodding. She remembered his owl, the poor thing had looked ancient and she was glad Kakuzu had come in himself to pick up his order. That owl would never be able to carry the heavy books. 

Pausing in a doorway, Konan took out her wand and turned the lights on, she could feel Kakuzu behind her, though he kept several feet between them. She located the box with his books in it and pushed it over to him, "You can check to make sure everything is correct." 

Kakuzu pulled the box closer and Konan watched as he handled one of the books he picked up with such care that seemed at odds with his large frame. 

“You can look through them if you want, before you leave.” Konan said, “I have a room back here.” For some reason, she didn’t want him to leave just yet.

Kakuzu looked up from the book, a manual on wandless earth magic, “I… I should go.”  
  
“You don’t have to. Many people enjoy spending some time reading before leaving. I wouldn’t want to keep you from anything though.”  
  
Kakuzu looked at the stack of books and then shook his head, “Thank you, but I would prefer to read at home.” 

Unable to help the disappointment she felt, Konan shrugged and turned, she would not insist. “I’ll ring you up.”  
  
“It appears I’m missing one book.” Kakuzu told her on their way.

“Oh?" Konan went over his original order, his writing small and neat on the parchment. She ticked off each title as she removed it from the box, all but one. Strange, she though, they should have all been there. “It appears you are. It may be in another box. Several arrived together, I was sure yours were all together… I checked them myself. If you have time I can-”  
  
Kakuzu waved his hand, “I'll have to come back another time. But I’m not paying for it until I have it.”  
  
Konan smiled, “Fair enough. Your total for today is quite good for my shop as it is.” She pointed to the register and bit her tongue to keep from laughing at the scowl on Kakuzu’s face.

“It’s worth it though.” He told her once he handed over his money, “These books are hard to come by.”  
  
Konan had noticed they were all on the use of elemental magic, it was considered archaic by some, and difficult to grasp. She wondered if he was simply studying it, or if he used it. She never got the chance to ask because he was turning to leave. As he did so, he stepped on the remains of the necklace and paused, “Sorry…” 

“It’s fine. It deserves it,” She said, then under her breath added, “useless piece of crap.” 

Kakuzu smirked at her words, “Have a nice day.” And then he was gone. 

Konan swept up the remains of her necklace and got several more customers after that. It was only once she closed and locked the door and put the closed sign in the window did she get the chance to go into the back and look for Kakuzu’s missing book. 

It was in the bottom of the box where the rest of them had been and Konan looked around. Perhaps she had a bit of a pixie problem on her hands... 

The following morning Konan sent an owl to Kakuzu letting him know she had located his missing book and that he could come in for it anytime, she would keep it off the shelves for him. 

She had hoped to see him come in, but he didn’t. And not the next day, or the day after that either. Konan hoped to at least see his ancient looking owl with a note thanking her, but the owl never came. 

* * *

A full month had passed before Kakuzu returned to her shop.

“Ah, Kakuzu, you’ve returned for your book?”  
  
He nodded, “I have.”  
  
“I was beginning to think you had forgotten about it, or changed your mind.”  
  
“Once I’ve made my mind up about something, it’s hard to change it. I waited six months for that book, a few more weeks is nothing.” He told her though his tone held a bitter note, “No more jewelry you need help out of?”  
  
She shook her head, “None. Why, do you enjoy cutting women out of binds?”  
  
The dark look he gave her told her that he probably did. 

Konan cleared her throat, “I’ve kept your book in my office. I’ve had a few things go missing lately only to show up in places I’ve already looked or where they never should have been.”  
  
“Sounds like pixies. Pesky little creatures.” Kakuzu said as he followed her, “Though there are worse out there.”  
  
“Indeed.” She stopped at a closed and locked door and removed her wand from her pocket, then whispered a spell to unlock the door. She pushed it open and then waved her wand and the lights came on.

She walked over to the box and reached in, only to find it empty! She grabbed it up and looked inside. No book. She looked at Kakuzu and back in the box.  
  
“Let me guess…” Kakuzu drawled, unamused, “My book has once more disappeared.”  
  
“It has.” She said softly, “I’m so sorry.”  
  
Anger flashed in his eyes, “It wasn’t easy coming all the way out here again. I had to get a-” he stopped, not finishing his sentence. “Once you find my book again, you can let me know. Or perhaps I ought to go somewhere else with my business, somewhere more professional where they don't lose things all the time!”  
  
She hated to admit it, but that had stung. Konan always prided herself on being professional. “Go ahead! But you’ve already given a down payment and I don’t refund down payments. It wasn’t easy getting these books. They’ve been out of print for at least a century and these were printed just for you. You won’t find many, if any, book shops with the connections I have!” She dropped the box and looked around, damn pixies! 

Kakuzu stalked back out to the front and paced in front of the counter while Konan searched for his book.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t find it.” She told him, her voice cold, “I’ll send an owl as soon as I do.” 

“Very well…” He grumbled and reached into his pocket, “I won’t be able to come back out here for a while. Just send the book once you find it.” Grumbling, he set the remaining amount he owed on the counter and left. 

“Out of my way.” Kakuzu growled at someone as they were trying to get into the shop as he was trying to get out. Konan looked over, hoping there was not about to be a fight in her shop. Kakuzu was already gone and she found a familiar head of messy red hair.

“Sasori, what brings you here?”  
  
“I’d rather like to know what brings him here, he was just released from prison not too long ago and is under house arrest. I wonder how he managed to come here.”  
  
“Is he?” So that was why it had taken him so long to return. She had already known, from his tattoos, that he had once been in prison, she just didn't know it was so recent. She thought about that as she took Kakuzu’s money and counted it before putting it into her register. Konan decided she wanted to know more about the man and Sasori was just the person to hear it from, and if the way her was now leaning against the counter, eyes bright with excitement was anything to go by, she was going to hear every last detail Sasori had on the man. 

* * *

A week later, Konan found the book in the middle of her stock room, a pixie dragging it somewhere. She immediately pointed her wand at it and froze the creature with a spell before picking it up by the back of its neck to take the book from it.   
  
“You naughty creature! Do you know how much trouble you've caused me?” She scolded it and gave it a gentle shake before setting it down, the spell wearing off, "You don't touch my books ever again, do you hear me?”  
  
“But miss... she is so lonely...” It said in an almost childlike manner, it's voice scratchy yet high pitched, "I only wanted to help!”

“You've done nothing to help! I'll have to take this to Kakuzu in person.”

The pixie giggled, “See?! I have helped!”

Konan eyed the creature, shaking her head. Help? She didn't need help. Not from love spells and not from pixies either. She shooed it away and glanced out the window. The day had gotten darker and darker until the rain finally started to fall. She could wait until the next day, or even the next. Kakuzu had waited so long for his books, but then, so had she and she didn't want to wait any longer. Even for all his crimes, Kakuzu intrigued her and she thought that just maybe the love spell had worked, slowly. Oh so very slowly. 

* * *

Rain soaked, Konan knocked on the heavy wooden door. She heard movement inside and waited as the rain poured down around her. At least on the doorstep it was covered and protected her from becoming more soaked as the seconds ticked by.

Finally the door opened, just a crack, but Konan saw the familiar red and green of Kakuzu’s eyes, a crease deep between them.

“Konan. What are you doing here?”  
  
“Your book, I found it.” She held it up for him to see. “I’m sorry your time was wasted, I had no hand in that.” She paused, she might as well let him know that she knew about him, she knew and was still there. “I know why you were in prison. And I know why you were angry. You could get in a lot of trouble for having all these books in your possession.”  
  
He was silent, as if reading her, deciding whether or not what she said was a threat. And then he opened the door the rest of the way and Konan could feel the warmth from inside, heard the crackling of a fire as he eyed her with those strange eyes of his, almost reptilian. And then she noticed he wasn't wearing a scarf, there was nothing covering the line of thick stitching on each side of his mouth. It should have been grotesque, and should have made her reel, perhaps throw the book at him and run. But she didn't think it was grotesque and she wasn't afraid.

“So you know my ‘secret’ not that it’s much of one if you read the papers and do a little research. And you still came out here to bring me my book. You could get into a lot of trouble for that if anyone finds out, but something tells me you're not going to tell.” He looked at her. She wasn’t afraid or disgusted by the sight of him, and for that he was grateful, “Well, come in then, you’ll catch cold out there on the step. I’ll make a drink to warm you up. I don’t get many visitors.” None, actually, unless he counted the aurors which he didn't, and the occasional visit from an old friend, though those visits were usually more business and less personal and could find him back in prison if he wasn't careful so he didn't much care for them. Konan’s visit though, that was different, and he hoped she would want to come back again. 

Once Konan was inside, Kakuzu closed the door.

“I also know that what was in that necklace I cut from your neck was a love spell. Don't think you've caught me with it though. I'm not the type you'd want anyways.” 

She looked up at him from the corner of her eye as she removed her coat, “Just to clarify, of course you aren't under any spell, that isn't how that particular charm works.” She handed him her coat to hang up for her, “And I'll be the judge of what 'type' I want. Not anyone else. Now that's all out of the way, how about that drink?” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you if you liked it! As of now, this is complete though I have some ideas and may continue it if there is some interest.


End file.
